Food Familiarity Research Articles

Hidden Meanings behind Meat-specific Vocabulary in the History of English

The present paper is an attempt to illustrate and discuss selected changes of meaning of meat-related vocabulary items brought about by the mechanism known as foodsemy, in which the source domain derives from the riches of the conceptual macrocategory FOODSTUFFS (e.g. pork, peach, bread), and the target is the macrocategory HUMAN BEING. The closeness and familiarity of food in our lives has given rise to various historical foodsemic metaphors during the evolution of English, most frequently in the colloquial register of the language, while the phenomenon may easily be observed in other natural languages. To this end, we intend to delve into figurative extensions of the original senses of words related to the category FOODSTUFFS. More specifically, we shall be dealing with a body of meat-related vocabulary, and the secondary senses they developed at certain points in the history of English.

Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample.

In recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring sensory-hedonic patterns for 'savory' stimuli, encompassing both umami and salty tastes, in a representative sample of Italian adults, with a focus on gender-specific differences. Associations among sensory-hedonic patterns, nutritional status, personality, and psycho-attitudinal traits, as well as food habits, were considered. Participants (n=2878) rated their liking and intensity of salty, umami, and overall flavor sensations for bean purée with varying salt levels and provided anthropometric and food consumption data. K-means clustering identified specific sensory-hedonic patterns: 'Dislikers' and 'Moderate Likers' in women, and 'Dislikers' and 'Likers' in men. In both genders, the increased concentration of NaCl in the model food translated in opposite hedonic reactions, which was less evident in men with 'Likers' showing a higher preference for the saltiest sample. An overweight condition also characterized this latter group. Both 'Likers' clusters (regardless of gender) showed higher familiarity/consumption of less healthy foods, including high-calorie items, junk foods, meat, and fats (all p<0.05). Gender-related differences were observed, with women preferring seafood and desserts, while men savory snacks and soft drinks. These results underscore taste's influence on dietary habits and the need to account for gender differences in personalized dietary interventions.

Product Characteristics and Emotions to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap in Green Food Purchasing

Promoting environmentally friendly behaviors is a pivotal strategy in addressing the climate crisis. The food industry’s impact on pollution and resource consumption underscores the importance of fostering eco-sustainable food consumption, which can significantly benefit the environment. However, despite the global surge in green purchase intentions, a noticeable discrepancy persists between these intentions and actual purchasing behavior. This study aimed to investigate the influence of various factors on the likelihood of purchasing green food. An online survey was administered to Italian adult consumers (n = 832, 66% female, aged 18–84 years), collecting sociodemographic data and assessing emotions related to green purchases, perceptions of green food characteristics, intention to buy green food, and frequency of green food purchases. Through cluster analysis, three distinct consumer categories emerged: Coherent Buyers (individuals willing to buy green food and actively doing so), Coherent Non-Buyers (individuals who have no intention to buy green food and do not buy it), and Non-Buyers with Favorable Intentions (individuals expressing willingness to buy green food but not following through with purchases). Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors influenced the likelihood of being categorized in the other two categories, as opposed to the Coherent Buyers one. These factors included younger age, a lower sense of pride associated with purchasing green products, and considering healthiness, natural content, and eco-sustainability of food less important and familiarity of green food more important. These findings provide valuable insights for marketers and policymakers, facilitating efforts to bridge the gap between green food intentions and behaviors and promote a shift toward a more eco-sustainable dietary pattern.

Street food vendor patronage in an emerging economy: An empirical study of undergraduates

Street food vending is becoming increasingly important globally, however, most studies on dining outlet patronage focused on formal restaurants, especially in developed economies. Thus, this study developed a model of street food vendor patronage among undergraduates. 385 copies of the study questionnaire were distributed to street food customers in northwest Nigeria, and structural equation modeling (AMOS) was used to validate the model. Thus, value for money, food quality, and food familiarity were found as factors that influence the patronage of a street food vendor, while service quality and ambiance do not significantly influence students’ patronage. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Development and validation of Japanese version of alternative food neophobia scale (J-FNS-A): association with willingness to eat alternative protein foods.

Food neophobia (FN) is a psychological trait that inhibits one's willingness to eat unfamiliar foods. It is related to the acceptance of insect foods and cultured meat, which are major protein alternatives to conventional meat, and is an important personality trait for understanding the near-future food industry. However, the factor structure of Pliner and Hobden's FN scale (FNS) is unstable due to respondents' cultural backgrounds. Thus, we aimed to develop a Japanese version based on the alternative FNS (FNS-A), the most recent revised version, and to examine its validity. Four online surveys (preliminary 1: n = 202; preliminary 2: n = 207; main: n = 1,079; follow-up: n = 500) were conducted on the FNS-A. For the main survey, Japanese respondents (aged 20-69 years) answered the Japanese version of the FNS-A (J-FNS-A), their willingness to eat (WTE), and their familiarity with hamburgers containing regular protein foods (ground beef, tofu) and alternative protein foods (soy meat, cultured meat, cricket powder, algae powder, and mealworm powder). Consistent with the FNS-A, confirmatory factor analysis assuming a two-dimensional structure (approach and avoidance) showed satisfactory model fit indices. The mean J-FNS-A score (Cronbach's α for 8 items = 0.83) was 4.15 [standard deviation (SD) = 0.93]. J-FNS-A scores were not associated with age and gender, whereas a greater than moderate association was found with WTE hamburgers containing alternative protein foods (rs = -0.42 to -0.33). The strength of these negative associations increased as food familiarity decreased (r = 0.94). The test-retest reliability at 1 month was also satisfactory (r = 0.79). The validity of the J-FNS-A was confirmed. Higher J-FNS-A scores (mean = 41.51, SD = 9.25, converted to Pliner and Hobden's FNS score) of the respondents suggest that Japanese people prefer conservative foods. This scale could predict the negative attitudes toward foods with low familiarity, such as alternative proteins. The J-FNS-A appears to be a useful psychological tool for assessing Japanese food neophobia tendencies and predicting novel food choices of Japanese individuals.

The power of endorsement in upcycled food promotion: Investigating the moderating effect of perceived food familiarity

This study investigates the effects of endorsements on consumer acceptance of upcycled food (UF), a category often viewed as uncertain due to its origin from repurposed ingredients. Two experiments reveal that celebrity endorsements are generally effective in eliciting positive perceptions and purchase intentions, although the effectiveness varies depending on individuals’ familiarity with UF. For relatively less familiar UF, expert endorsements prove more effective in enhancing perceived confidence and purchase intention, while highly familiar UF, celebrity endorsements are more effective in boosting confidence and purchase intentions. Perceived confidence, significantly influenced by endorsements, emerged as a key mediator in purchase decisions, highlighting the varying impact of endorsement types on consumer confidence in the UF market. By unraveling the intricate dynamics among endorsement types, product familiarity, and consumer confidence, the study contributes to understanding efforts to promote sustainable food choices in a dynamically evolving market.

Children’s evaluations of culturally diverse lunchbox foods

Previous research indicates that children make ingroup–outgroup judgments based on notions of food conventionality and that ethnic minority children have been teased or bullied for bringing non-conventional foods to school. This series of three studies experimentally investigated U.S. school-age children’s evaluations of culturally diverse lunchbox foods. Study 1 examined an online sample of children aged 5 to 12 years and their evaluations of foods from four cultures (mainstream American, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican) on the taste, smell, and messiness of the food, the appropriateness of bringing the food to school, and whether “cool kids” eat the food. Compared with the mainstream American lunchbox, children rated the Chinese, Indian, and Mexican lunchboxes as less tasty, more messy, and less likely that cool kids would bring those foods to school. In Studies 2 and 3, we examined children’s behavioral choices in a hypothetical cafeteria. In both studies, we found that the match between children’s own lunch preferences and what was displayed in the mainstream American lunchbox was the only predictor of children’s choice to sit at the table with the American lunchbox. Individual variables (e.g., child age, food pickiness) and contextual variables (e.g., neighborhood diversity) did not predict children’s table choices. This research highlights children’s understanding of familiarity and conventionality of foods and the social consequences of their behavioral choices.

Food rejection and the relation with category-based induction and memory in young children

BackgroundChildhood rejection of fruits and vegetables (F/V) has been associated with an immature food categorization system, characterized by difficulties in accurately categorizing and making inductions about foods. This may result in variations in the kind of category-based induction children use, such as relying on the color of a fruit/vegetable. Research indicates that children who reject food frequently tend to prioritize perceptual features like color and shape over abstract features, such as the type of food (e.g., tomato) when making food-related inductions. The way children categorize food can also impact what they remember about foods. Food rejection may therefore be related to better memory for perceptual features and diminished memory for abstract features. To explore this further, a pre-registered study was conducted to examine how category-based induction and memory relate to each other, and to children's food rejection. Methods107 children aged 4–6 years old performed a category-based induction and memory task related to F/V, based on color and shape (perceptual features), and type of food (abstract feature). A vegetable photo task measured vegetable acceptance, and parents completed the Child Food Rejection Scale (CFRS). ResultsChildren generally used color-based induction and displayed better memory for F/V color. Performance on the two tasks was related: higher type-based induction for F/V was linked to better memory for the type of F/V. However, there were no associations found with food rejection. ConclusionWhich category young children use for inductive reasoning about food, is related to what they remember best about food. Nevertheless, our study did not establish a relationship between an immature food categorization system and food rejection. Other factors, such as food familiarity, might play a stronger role in children's food acceptance.

391 Common Knowledge Or Common sense? Identifying Systematic Misconceptions of Animal Agriculture and Food Familiarity in Higher Education Individuals

Abstract Knowledge gaps in the context of agriculture contribute to mistrust and negative worldviews of the animal agricultural sector. The purpose of this quasi-experimental survey study stood on three tiers: quantify perceived connection to food production (FP) of the participants, their understanding, knowledge and perceptions of animal agriculture (AA) and FP, and determine predictors which may have contributed to their knowledge and perceptions of food animal production. A southeastern land grant institution served as the convenience sample for this study, where 265 completed responses were returned. The electronic survey collected several types of data including a Gapminder-influenced (Rosling et al., 2019) Animal Agricultural Knowledge and Perceptions Questionnaire, a Food Familiarity Index Questionnaire, and demographic questions. The study reports that almost 50% of participants demonstrated a negative worldview (P &amp;lt; 0.05) of animal agriculture, regardless of food familiarity scores. Natural and self-identified demographic characteristics impacted AA knowledge and perceptions, including gender, ethnicity, dietary preference, perceived connection to FP, and affiliation with the College of Agriculture. Additional research should be done to replicate the findings with broader question pools and other demographic groups to identify areas that need improvement in agriculture communication efforts designed to dispel misinformation.

228 Food for Thought: How Influenceable Is the Next Generation Consumer

Abstract Spread of misinformation and disinformation in animal agriculture is rampant in social media and then add the theory of social contagion, and the reach of this information and its impact on social licensure becomes extensive. A research study evaluated susceptibility of young consumers to be affected by false information pertaining to the beef industry found in segments of YouTube videos as well as their level of pre-study food industry knowledge as determined by a Food Familiarity Index (FFI) score. This mixed-methods study included a total of 15 next generation consumers who viewed two different YouTube video clips about agriculture, one being categorized as misinformation and one communicating accurate, research-based information. Level of trust among participants was then gauged using the continuous response measurement (CRM) instrument to identify critical moments of trust and distrust which can be found in the included figures as well as to then to craft participant narrative about perceptions of the beef industry enabled by responses from the focus group. It was found that those who have less knowledge about the food industry are much more vulnerable (P &amp;lt; 0.05) to being misinformed and are more apt (P &amp;lt; 0.05) to be influenced by misinformation Figure 1 and 2). Through engagement in thought-provoking discussion and analysis of what may have encouraged higher or lower levels of trust among the participants, this study contributes to a body of literature that may help communicators within animal agriculture to better understand positions and ability to share information about the agriculture industry to American consumers.

Application of optimal defaults to increase selection of sustainable menu choices

Vegan diets confer less adverse environmental impact than omnivore and vegetarian diets. While many consumers have shifted to more environmentally sustainable diets in recent years, additional strategies are needed to encourage these choices. As some vegan foods are unfamiliar to mainstream diners, food neophobia may deter the selection of such items. The current research applied a behavioral economics strategy, optimal defaults, to menu design in a two-part study that aimed to increase selection of vegan menu choices. Two experiments were conducted in analogue internet and college dining hall settings to investigate the effect of menu default presentation (optimal default, suboptimal default, or free array) on choice of vegan and omnivore menu items, stratified across familiar and unfamiliar vegan food options (six menu conditions total). Two-hundred ninety-nine young adults without dietary restrictions completed the analogue internet experiment and 209 college students completed the college dining hall experiment. Participants were randomly presented with one of the six experimental menus and asked to choose their entree. Chi-square and binomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess the independent and interactive contributions of menu format and vegan-item familiarity level on entree choice (vegan or omnivore). Results showed that in both simulated and real-world settings, optimal default menus were more successful at nudging consumers toward sustainable, vegan entree choices than no-default, free array menus and, in the dining hall experiment, did not result in greater food waste. Vegan food familiarity level did not moderate the effect of menu format on entree choice. Optimal default menus could be a feasible and effective tool for the dining industry to transition to more sustainable, including less familiar, food offerings.

High arousal as the source of food rejection in food neophobia

Food neophobia (FN) at moderate to high levels is very common among adult populations in all cultures and is usually defined in terms of rejection of unfamiliar foods. However, food rejection in FN is only partly related to food familiarity. Experimental and survey studies have suggested that unpleasantly high arousal may be induced by food novelty, but also be produced by foods with intense or complex flavours, that are perceived as dangerous or foreign, or that have unusual ingredients. Liking for foods with these characteristics have recently been shown to be strongly negatively associated with FN. Thus, induced high arousal may underlie food rejection in FN. Here, we collected familiarity, liking and arousal ratings, and scores on the standard Food Neophobia Scale from more than 7000 consumers in four countries – Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia – for a series of food names that were manipulated to produce standard and ‘high arousal’ (variant) versions of the same foods. Consistent across all four countries, arousal ratings increased, and liking decreased, with decreases in food familiarity. Variant food names were always associated with ratings of higher arousal than the standard names. The variant foods were generally less familiar than the standard foods, although this was not a necessary condition for their higher arousal ratings, suggesting that the other arousal-inducing factors (e.g., flavour intensity) also played a role. Across all foods, arousal ratings increased, and liking ratings decreased, as FN increased, but these effects were accentuated for the variant foods. The consistency of these effects across multiple countries supports a view that arousal is universally a strong determinant of liking for foods and that this underlies the rejection of foods, familiar and novel, in FN.

“I Always Buy the Purple Ones … If I See Them”: Socioecological Factors Influencing Anthocyanin-Rich Food Consumption for Cognitive Health in Older Adults

Despite the positive relationship between anthocyanin-rich foods and cognitive health, a dietary deficit exists in older adults. Effective interventions require an understanding of people's dietary behaviors situated in social and cultural contexts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore older adults' perceptions about increasing their consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods for cognitive health. Following an educational session and the provision of a recipe and information book, an online survey and focus groups with Australian adults aged 65 years or older (n = 20) explored the barriers and enablers towards eating more anthocyanin-rich foods and potential strategies to achieve dietary change. An iterative, qualitative analysis identified the themes and classified the barriers, enablers and strategies onto the Social-Ecological model levels of influence (individual, interpersonal, community, society). Enabling factors included a desire to eat healthily, taste preference and familiarity of anthocyanin-rich foods (individual), social support (community), and the availability of some anthocyanin-rich foods (society). The barriers included budget, dietary preferences and motivation (individual), household influences (interpersonal), limited availability and access to some anthocyanin-rich foods (community) and the cost and the seasonal variability (society). The strategies included increasing individual-level knowledge, skills, and confidence in utilizing anthocyanin-rich foods, educational initiatives about the potential cognitive benefits, and advocating to increase access to anthocyanin-rich foods in the food supply. This study provides for the first time, insight into the various levels of influence impacting older adults' ability to consume an anthocyanin-rich diet for cognitive health. Future interventions should be tailored to reflect the barriers and enablers and to provide targeted education about anthocyanin-rich foods.

Consumer attitudes to upcycled foods in US and China

A trend has emerged seeking to transform edible food waste into new consumable products, a process known as upcycling. However, there are limited studies on consumer knowledge and attitudes towards upcycled foods. This study is the first to compare a Western (United States (US)) and Eastern (China) country, in terms of consumer attitudes to upcycled foods and consumer preferences on new upcycled food combinations. The survey was distributed online and statistical analyses were performed to calculate differences between the two countries relating to willingness to try (WTT), willingness to buy (WTB), liking, familiarity, attractiveness, purchase likelihood and previous knowledge of upcycled foods. Results indicate that more participants in China had heard previously of upcycled foods than in the US, however familiarity was low in both countries. Overall, liking towards upcycled foods was higher in the USA than in China. In the US, the most popular combinations were snack foods with upcycled spent grains and upcycled vegetables included in soups, followed by upcycled fruit in snacks. In China the most popular combinations were fruit in snacks, breakfast foods and drinks. The preferred by-products in both countries were plant-based, but dairy was the third preferred choice in China. Chinese participants characterised upcycled foods in terms of quality and health more than the US, while ‘reducing food waste’ and being ‘good for the environment’ were equally associated with upcycled foods in both countries.

When novel and familiar look alike: Testing the impact of comparison focus on familiarity and behavioural intentions towards ethnic food

People are often reluctant when it comes to approaching novel food. This behavioural tendency falls under the label of food neophobia. Prior research based on mere exposure indicated that novel foods are more likely approached when perceived as more familiar. The present paper proposes a strategy to increase the perceived familiarity of ethnic food that is not based on direct exposure, but instead, on comparative thinking. Across three pre-registered studies (n = 649), the impact of a comparison focus manipulation on familiarity, perceived closeness, and intention to try ethnic foods was tested. Participants were presented with ethnic recipes and asked to highlight the ingredients that made the recipe alike vs. different from known food. Study 1 revealed that focusing on similarities increased the perceived familiarity of an ethnic food relative to a no-comparison condition, but not to a difference condition. As the latter non-significant comparison was likely due to the specific features of the ethnic food considered, in Studies 2 and 3 a mixed design was adopted. Each participant was asked to process two different ethnic recipes, one assigned to a no-comparison focus task and the other to a comparison focus (similarity vs. difference) task. Results demonstrated that the food assigned to the comparison task increased in familiarity and perceived closeness, whereas the effect did not emerge on behavioural intentions. Crucially, this was true only when the comparison focus was on the similarities with Italian recipes. These findings provide useful insights for future research within the context of food-behaviour change.

The impact of supermarket credibility on purchase intention of novel food

How do consumers make purchase decisions for novel food products? This research demonstrates the importance of supermarket credibility as a heuristic cue influencing consumers’ purchase decisions. We used a 2 (supermarket type: specialty store vs. conventional store) x 2 (food familiarity: novel vs. familiar) x 3 (price: high, average, low) between-subjects design and found that perceived supermarket credibility positively and indirectly mediates the relationship between supermarket type and purchase intention, and this effect is moderated by the interaction of familiarity and price level, suggesting a moderated-moderated-mediation effect. Specifically, the three-way interaction effect on purchase intention is stronger when the price is low in the familiar food condition, while the effect is stronger when the price is high in the novel food condition. In other words, consumers rely on supermarket credibility when buying novel foods, and when risk is higher people rely more on product credibility signaled by price.

The Effects of the Healthy Primary School of the Future on Children's Fruit and Vegetable Preferences, Familiarity and Intake.

Mere exposure is an often-described strategy to increase children’s food familiarity, preferences, and intake. Research investigating this method in less controlled settings is scarce. This study investigates the effects of repeated fruit and vegetable (FV) exposure through the Healthy Primary School of the Future (HPSF) on children’s FV familiarity, preferences, and intake. The study had a longitudinal quasi-experimental design comparing two full HPSFs (focus: nutrition and physical activity) with two partial HPSFs (focus: physical activity) in the Netherlands. Annual measurements (child-reported questionnaires) were conducted during 2015–2019 in 833 7–12-year-old children. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02800616). After correction for baseline, full HPSFs had, on average, a lower number of unfamiliar vegetable items after one (effect size (ES) = −0.28) and three years (ES = −0.35) and a higher number of disliked vegetable items after one year (ES = 0.24) than partial HPSFs. Unfavorable intervention effects were observed for fruit intake after one (odds ratio (OR) = 0.609) and four years (OR = 0.451). Repeated FV exposure had limited effects on children’s FV familiarity, preferences, and intake, likely due to insufficient taste exposure. Considering the widespread implementation of school-based mere exposure efforts, it is highly relevant to further investigate under which circumstances mere exposure effectively contributes to improvements in (determinants of) FV intake.

Adolescent's Willingness to Adopt a More Plant-Based Diet: A Theory-Based Interview Study.

A plant-based diet is more sustainable, and research suggests that adolescents obtain health benefits from adopting a more plant-based diet (e.g., improved weight control, increased cardiovascular health). However, it is still unclear what factors promote/hinder their intention to attain such a dietary habit. The aim of the present study was to examine factors affecting adolescents' willingness to consume more plant-based foods. In a theory-based interview study, using the Reasoned Action Approach as framework, adolescents were interviewed concerning their reasons for their (un)willingness to adopt a more plant-based diet. A total of 11 adolescents (15/16 years old; 7 girls, 4 boys) were recruited and interviewed at two secondary schools in the Dutch Province of Limburg, the Netherlands. None of the interviewees reported being vegan/vegetarian/flexitarian. The interviewed adolescents overall expressed little interest in adopting a more plant-based diet. They appeared to have little knowledge of what would comprise a more plant-based diet and showed a lack of awareness of the benefits for personal and planet health. Further, most participants indicated lacking skills to prepare plant-based meals. Despite that, they felt confident they would be able to consume a much more plant-based diet for a definite period. Most importantly, the low intention to consume more plant-based food options was explained by the perceived (or expected) poor taste of these foods. We conclude that education on the plant-based diet (i.e., increasing awareness of the benefits, and skills to procure or prepare a plant-based meal) might increase both knowledge and plant-based food familiarity. The latter being important as food familiarity is key in promoting its acceptance.

Sociodemographic differences in motives for food selection: results from the LoCard cross-sectional survey

BackgroundAlthough sociodemographic differences in dietary intake have been widely studied, the up-to-date evidence on the corresponding variations in motives for food selection is limited. We investigated how sociodemographic characteristics and special diets in households are associated with the relative importance of various food motives.MethodsParticipants were members of the S Group loyalty card program across Finland who consented to release their grocery purchase data to be used for research purposes and responded to a web-based questionnaire in 2018 (LoCard study). Self-reported information on sociodemographic factors (age, gender, marital status, living situation, education, household income), special diets in household and food motives (Food Choice Questionnaire) were utilized in the present analyses (N = 10,795). Age- and gender-adjusted linear models were performed separately for each sociodemographic predictor and motive dimension (derived by factor analysis) outcome. The importance of each sociodemographic predictor was evaluated based on an increase in R2 value after adding the predictor to the age- and gender-adjusted model.ResultsAge emerged as a central determinant of food motives with the following strongest associations: young adults emphasized convenience (∆R2 = 0.09, P < 0.001) and mood control (∆R2 = 0.05, P < 0.001) motives more than middle-aged and older adults. The relative importance of cheapness decreased with increasing socioeconomic position (SEP) (∆R2 = 0.08, P < 0.001 for income and ∆R2 = 0.04, P < 0.001 for education). However, the price item (“is good value for money”) depicting the concept of worth did not distinguish between SEP categories. Considerations related to familiarity of food were more salient to men (∆R2 = 0.02, P < 0.001) and those with lower SEP (∆R2 = 0.03, P < 0.001 for education and ∆R2 = 0.01, P < 0.001 for income). Respondents living in households with a vegetarian, red-meat-free, gluten-free or other type of special diet rated ethical concern as relatively more important than households with no special diets (∆R2 = 0.02, P < 0.001).ConclusionsWe observed sociodemographic differences in a range of food motives that might act as barriers or drivers for adopting diets that benefit human and planetary health. Interventions aiming to narrow SEP and gender disparities in dietary intake should employ strategies that take into account higher priority of familiarity and price in daily food selection in lower-SEP individuals and males.

중국 20-30대 소비자의 건강기능식품 구매의도에 관한 연구: 확장된 목표지향행동 모델을 중심으로

Economic growth and income level improvement have improved the quality of life of consumers, and the change of population structure and extension of life expectancy are raising interest in health and food., health functional foods that can supplement various functional nutrients more easily are showing steady growth trend in major markets in the world. In particular, demands for health foods in China are gradually growing with increases in disposable income and economic development and interest is also increasing recently in health functional food, which is allowing for disease prevention and reductions in medical costs after the recent COVID-19 situation. Also, health functional food is no longer consumed only by the middle-aged and the elderly but is now being highlighted as an essential product of those in their twenties and thirties, showing that there will continuously be great demand in the future. Therefore, this study observed health functional food purchase intentions by applying the model of goal-directed behavior, expanded for Chinese consumers in their 20s-30s. In order to analyze the factors affecting the intention of purchasing health functional foods of consumers in their 20s and 30s, a survey was conducted on consumers in their 20s and 30s living in Beijing, China.,A total of 248 copies were used for the final analysis as a result of web surveys conducted through Chinese research companies for 15 days from April 28 to May 13, 2020., For data analysis, statistical processing was conducted using SPSS 24.0 program and AMOS 18.0 program. Research results showed first that, it was confirmed that perceived behavior control, purchasing attitudes, and negative expected emotions, which are variables of model of goal-directed behavior, have effects on health functional food purchasing desires and that purchasing desires have a positive effect on health functional food purchase intentions. Second, food safety perceptions have positive effects on health functional food purchasing attitudes and purchase intentions. Lastly, health functional food familiarity had positive effects on both health functional food purchasing attitudes and purchase intentions. This study will aid in the establishment of marketing strategies that are needed by health functional food-related businesses when they advance into global markets and nationally, it is anticipated to be used as empirical data in the promotion of globalization policies for the health functional food industry. In addition, it is intended to help provide information on health functional foods and provide consumer education for efficient selection and use of health functional foods of consumers in their 20s and 30s.